Key for watchmen&#39;s registers.



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THE NORRIS PETERS c0. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. u. f.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. JENKINS, 0F BELLEVILLE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO NEWMAN CLOCK COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

KEY FOR WATCHMENS REGISTERS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. JENKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Belleville, county of Essex, and State of New J ersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Keys for \Vatchmens Registers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention which forms the subject matter of this application relates to a key for a watchmans clock.

In the usual construction of the key the ward. carries a die which is adapted to indicate when inserted into the clock and properly manipulated, the exact time at which the particular station was visited, the die itself being made of some character from which it can be easily ascertained by what key the record dial was punched. These keys not infrequently are handled roughly and at times are subjected to unwarranted abuse causing the die to be violently brought into contact with external objects and destroying its shape and identity. These keys are also objectionable in that the record dial, located between the male and female dies, frequently adheres to the latter and results in a rupture of said dial as the same is r0- tated through the instrume-nta-lity of the clock mechanism. A further objection to these keys resides in the fact that the chain to which the key itself is secured to the station box is rigid therewith which causes the chain to become twisted and hence easily broken and severed from the key.

The object of my invention is to devise a key devoid of these defects and still possessed of all the advantages of the present key. I accomplish this by constructing the ward with a guard or guards thereon which serve to protect the male die thereon from injury as a result of being jostled about in using the same to make a record in the particular clock. This guard not only protects the die from the injury just stated but is so constructed that it acts also as a shedder to facilitate the separation of the record-dial from the die to which the said record-dial not infrequently adheres. The chain, instead of being rigidly secured to the key, is swiveled thereto which avoids twisting and breaking.

Referring to the drawings in detail Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 18, 1911.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914:-

Serial No. 666,317.

wherein like characters refer to the same part in all the views:

Figure 1 shows a full-sized key with my improvements embodied therein, Fig. 2 is an end view thereof showing the construction of the guard, Fig. 3 is an end view of the key provided with a guard on both sides of the ward, and shows a section of the plate upon which the record-dial is supported. Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the method of attaching the chain thereto. Fig. 6 is a modified form of connection.

The reference numeral 10 designates a key such as is in common use in connection with watchmens clocks of the type wherein the watchman carries the clock from place to place and marks upon the dial therein by means of keys stationarily mounted at various points. Upon one shank thereof is mounted the usual web 11 having the ward 12 secured thereon and substantially at right angles thereto. The web 11 has the extension 13 which projects beyond the ward 11. Upon the sides of the ward or upon either side of the ward is mounted the guard 11 which extends in the same general direction deviating slightly from and extending somewhat beyond the extreme outer edge of the ward. Upon the outer edge of the ward is mounted the male die 15 which is adapted to indicate the particular station visited. It will be obvious from Fig. 2 that it is impossible, if the guard be properly constructed and applied to the ward, for the die 15 to contact with surfaces in the act of using it to make an impression upon the record-dial. Suppose the line m .z2 to be a plane surface; it will at once be seen that contact will be made with said surface at two points, namely. at the shank and at the outer extremity of the guard 14. Consider, however, that the line 1 g indicates the surface and the key making contact therewith as shown. It is obvious that two points of the key again contact said surface, namely, the extremity of the lip 13 and the corner of the ward 12. Also considerthat the line z-z represents the surface. The points of contact in this instance will be the extremities of the ward and guard. Hence it will be observed that in any position of the key the die is out of contact with a supdies begin to separate and the guards to leave the grooves the natural tendency for the paper to straighten out will cause it to disengage itself from the female die leaving it freed therefrom and permitting it to be rotated by means of the clock mechanism, without injury thereto.

Upon the opposite end of the key are the wings 20. The shank is somewhat enlarged at 21, and is provided with a central cylindrical opening 22, which flares out at its upper end to a rather broad funnel-shapef the metal of the key being preferably correspondingly flared on its outer side to produce a funnehshaped flange or bead 22". termediate the ends of the cylindrical openin 22 and at right angles thereto and. to the axis of the key is a cylindrical opening 23 capable of receiving a spherical shell 24. having the perforations 25 adapted to register with the opening 22. lVithin the spherical shell 2a is placed a lead plug 26, shown in dotted lines in F 5, having the perforation 27; The opening 22 in the enlarged end of the key and the openings in the shell and plug are adapted to register to receive therethrough a fox-tail chain 28. After the chain has been inserted as aforesaid, the lead plug is pressed inwardly, as shown in full lines in Fig. 5, by means of pliers, or by any other suitable tool to fill the spherical shell and secure the chain therein. It will therefore be seen that the fox-tail chain, where it issues from the spherical shell, serves as a shaft or trunnion to maintain said shell in proper po sit-ion, it being understood that the external diameter of the shell is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the cylindrical perforation 23. From the above description it will be-seen that the chain is in reality swiveledto the key and any tendency for the chain to become twisted will be obviated by this form of connection. While it is obvious that any form of chain may be used, 1 prefer, however, to use what is called the foxtail chain, which is one that is composed of short and fine links packed closely together so that the chain has the appearance and the qualities of rope or other very close fabric. The closeness of the links prevents twisting of the chain to any considerable eX- tent and also makes sharp bends'in it practically impossible.

In Fig. 6 I show a modified construction.

Herethe lead has been entirely omitted and the shell itself is stamped by means of pliers or other suitable means directly upon the chain. On account of its simplicity and the with which the shell is secured to the chain this construction is very important.

In addition to what has been stated in connection with Fig. 3, attention is called to the fact that owing to the contact of the guard 1% with the bottom of the groove 15 the wear on the dies is positively reduced to a minimum.

instead of the dies striking each other with a thud each time the key is inserted for recording purposes the force is taken up by the guard itself, the dies being allowed to approach each other close enough to produce a clear impression upon the dial. This prolongs the life of the impression means. In addition this guard may be eX tended the full length of the ward and par allel to the ward and the shank, in which case a means is provided by which the movement of the entire length of the ward is instantly stopped, thus uniformly distributing strain throughout the shank of the key. As shown, the guard is enlarged at 29 to avoid wear and to prevent the dial from being punctured or otherwise damaged in making contact with said dial or the dial supporting means. The guard let preferably has a portion 30 in engagement with the web 11.

it is to be understood that the device shown and described is simply the preferred embodiment of my invention, and it is obvious that various changes can be made in point of detail from the construction shown without in any way deviating from the proper spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is l. The combination of'a key for a watchmans clock, comprising a shank, a web secured to said shank, a Ward on said web, and means on said ward for protecting the outer edge thereof against injury.

2. The combination of a key for a watch mans clock, comprising a shank, a web secured to saidshank, a ward on said web having a die thereon, and means secured to said shank and projecting beyond said die to profeet the latter from injury.

3. The combination of a keyfor a watch mans clock, comprising a shank, a web secured to said shank, a ward secured to said web having a die thereon, of a plate having a corresponding die and also having grooves adjacent said die, a record dial supported on said plate and located between said dies. and means on the key for flexing the dial into said grooves, whereby the said record dial is shedded from the die on said plate upon the separation of said dies.

4. The combination of a key for a watchmans clock, a ward secured thereto having a die thereon, a plate adapted to support a record dial having a corresponding die thereon and grooves adjacent said die and means on the key for flexing the dial into said grooves whereby the said record dial is shedded from the die on said plate upon the separation of said dies.

5. The combination of a key for a watchmans clock, a. ward secured thereto having a die thereon, a guard secured to the side of said ward and projecting beyond the same, a plate adapted to support a record dial thereon and having a die thereon corresponding to the die of the key Ward, and a groove adjacent the die on said plate which receives the guard to indent the dial so that the latter will shed itself from the last mentioned die when the former die is removed therefrom.

6. The combination of a key for a watchmans clock, comprising a shank, a web secured to said shank, a ward on said web, an impression producing means on said ward, and means associated with the key to prevent the impression means from being injured.

7. The combination of a key for a Watchmans clock, comprising a shank, a Web secured to said shank, a ward on said web having a die thereon, a lip on said web extending beyond said ward, a guard on said ward extending beyond the die to protect the latter from injury, the extension of the guard and the lip being such that planes passing through the extreme ends of the lip and ward and the guard and ward, and a plane passing through the extremity of the guard and touching the outer edge of the shank, will be beyond the die on the said ward.

8. The combination of a key for a watchmans clock, comprising a ward and an impression producing means on said ward, in combination With adial supporting means, and means on said key for preventing the impression producing means from coming with a thud into contact with said dial supporting means.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. JENKINS.

Witnesses HERBERT C. DAVIS, E. K. RoLANDs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 6. 

